This is not the final part. I’ll write the ending tomorrow. Thank you. PS: Sob... sniff...

Richard and Maureen, 1994

Alcoholism was no longer a problem for Ringo. He was shocked, however, at how much a woman’s love can endure when she means it. Mo had put up with the sort of behaviour no one would have endured. Jane had walked out on Paul on the day of his death because she was unable to live with a depressed alcoholic. Not something the rest of the boys in the band had taken with ease. For years, Jane was seen as "the witch" that had pushed "the cute one" to the grave. But now, Ringo began to see the other side of the token. Mo had put up with other women, cocaine parties, black eyes and endless amounts of broken bottles of scotch and gin. She had heard of his affair to model Nancy Andrews, and had still endured for the sake of love. Not once had she threatened to leave. When he had asked for divorce, she held back and fought to save the marriage. Even after George had made indecent proposals to her, she stood firm by her Richie, whom she adored. She claimed that she hadn’t said "I do" just to have fun for a few years, but to support and love him for an entire lifetime.

It was now time for him to show HIS endurance…

Mo had been sick for a while. She had passed out at a party not long before, and had been taken out for testing. Much to his horror, Ringo had been told his wife was not anemic, as he had originally suspected, but had a strange form of Leukemia, a disease called Mylodysplasia.

It was hard for him to comprehend… Just when life was finally smiling at them again, life itself came and struck... And Ringo was lost. He had no clue where to go next, or what to do.

A flow of thoughts invaded him constantly. One of them was the thought of being alone. He was anything BUT young. He was far from being a Beatle now. There was not much left… But the thought of his sons and his gorgeous daughter were a definite encouragement. Lee was still young at 22, but had a cache of sorts that drove men mad. Ringo had been a bit upset at her lack of discipline, skipping from one school to another, wanting to make her mark. His son Jason has been fined for drugs and had been caught stealing a car stereo, saying that being the son of Ringo had been a drag. Zak, on the other hand, had mended his relationship with his father after being estranged form him, when he married at 19 and had a daughter. He was now a fine and responsible 27 year old man with looks that killed.

Ringo knew Mo was not going to make it. He had spent all the money he could to pay for the top specialists, but not one of them had made her better, only worse. Zak had donated bone marrow for a transplant, but that had not helped either.

Maureen lay on her bed, gasping and wheezing air, while Ringo tenderly held her hand.

- Richie..- She spoke softly.

- Right here, luv. – Ringo replied with a warm smile that disguised his torn interiors.

- Do you remember…- She smiled at him, her eyes closed. –… Do you remember the first time you and I went away?

Ringo kissed her hand. - Mh-hm.

- Who did we go with?

- Paul and Jane, I believe… To Greece…

- Oh, yes…- She smiled again, breathing hard. – I remember that Jane never wanted to get out of the Parthenon…

- Yeh, we’d go there every day just to keep her happy. – Ringo felt a legitimate smile rise on his lips, as he reminisced. – Even Paul was beginning to moan about the heat… You remember how…- He giggled. –How both Paul and I ended up with red hot sunburns on our backs, and you and Jane went out shopping while Paul and I stayed lying face down in the hotel, weeping and moaning about that?

A fac-simile of a laugh left Mo’s mouth. –Yes… Those were good days, weren’t they?

- Indeed…

There was a long silence. Mo opened her eyes and blinked, staring at Ringo. She still looked gorgeous, even at 47. Even through the straining and visible marks of the disease, she was still his little Mo.

She held her finger out and touched his bearded cheek. –You are worried, luv…

- I’m fine…- He faked a smile through his dark sunglasses.

- No, you’re not, Richie… I know it…

Ringo winced and looked down, not wanting to cry. She closed her eyes again and spoke. –I’ll be fine… Just keep on going…

Ringo finally broke down completely and leaned down on the bed, sobbing openly as she caressed his long hair. –God, Mo… What am I going to do without you?

- Just make your peace…- She spoke almost numbly. –You and Jason…

- He hates me, Mo…- He sobbed. –I have been one shitty example of a man… I’ve been an alcoholic, I’ve done all the things I never liked when I was young, I turned me back on our lad… And you were still with me, even through all the women and parties and drugs… I could have ended up like Paul, and you never left me, luv… Why didn’t you?

- It came with the package…- She mumbled softly and almost incoherently. –You’ll be fine, luv…

Ringo reached out for her hands and held them together. –I luv you, Mo…

She smiled, eyes closed. –I know you do… I always stayed because I knew you always loved me…

There was another brief silence while Ringo composed himself enough to speak again. –Is there anything you want?

She nodded. –I want to see you and Jason… together… In this room, making peace.

This would be hard. But Ringo swiftly stood up and called out the door. –Guys! You’d all better come ‘ead in here…

In a matter of seconds, all three Starkey children were in the room. Lee bit her lower lip as she stared at her mother. Zak simply looked down.

- Jason?- Mo called out.

The rebellious young boy looked up suddenly and sat beside his mum. –Yeh, mum?

Mo made a huge effort to reach out and touch her son’s cheek. –You father loves you… Please… please…

Jason’s colour left his face as he turned to look at his father. Ringo finally took his glasses off and stared a sad stare at his son.

- Please… Don’t let me go thinking you don’t love him…

- Mum…- Jason shook his head.

- Please…

Jason sighed and stood up, walking to Ringo who stood aghast by the bathroom door.

He and Jason stared at each other for a few minutes, before Jason’s eyes suddenly welled with tears, and threw his arms around his father’s neck. Silently, Ringo complied. He wasn’t used to showing any emotion to his children, and it showed. But slowly, as Jason’s tears begged for at least one show of affection from his father, Ringo gave in, and clenched his son tight between his arms. Mo smiled.

- Yes…- She whispered, making both father and son turn to her again. – This is what I wanted… What I always wanted…

- Mum?- Lee gasped

- Mum… please…- Jason pleaded.

Ringo released his son and rushed over to Mo, holding her hand tight as her smile gently eased her away from the world.

Ringo sat there, hearing his daughter’s sobs as if they came from really far away. He stared into Mo’s eyes, still shining. With a gentle hand, he closed them, leaned over and kissed her forehead, wet and hot tears running down his face and on to hers. –I love you, Mo… I love you so much… I always did…- He wept.

He seemed to lie there for hours… and a warm hand touched his shoulder. –Let her go, dad…- It was Zak.

Ringo turned and stared at his sons. Zak was not crying, but the grief and sadness were visibly marked all over his face. Jason was in tears, holding Lee who sobbed on his shoulder.

Ringo stood up, and looked at them. The looked back in silence.

He suddenly held his arms open and the whole family embraced in a tight hug.

- It’s not too late…- Ringo wept aloud. –I’m so sorry… I love you all so much, I’m sorry….

- Oh, dad…- Lee wept

Jason tightened his grip around his father. –We love you too…

And if Mo had endured so long, it had been because she knew he had it in his heart. If she had taught him anything, it was to carry on with a brave face, and stay with those you loved. It was time to start all over.

Previous Back to Cream's Fix Next